


Break Week

by LetsGetNonCanon



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Action, But God Damn It Look At My Username, Comedy, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Expect A Sickening Number Of Heat And Ice Puns, F/F, Fluff, Kissing, Long-Term Relationship(s), Love, Romantic Comedy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, totally not canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-08-29 15:07:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8494633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetsGetNonCanon/pseuds/LetsGetNonCanon
Summary: "I embody my...I mean, Ruby and Sapphire's love. I'll always exist in them, even if I split apart. But the strength of that love keeps me together. So I can stay Garnet for a very long time."'Long' does not equal 'forever' as chance may have it. Looks like Ruby and Sapphire have a whole week to get through on their own. Will they survive?...Will everyone else survive? Take a deeper look into the so-called 'perfect relationship', 5570 years in the making!





	1. Coming Apart At The Seams

The sun hung high in the clear blue sky over Beach City. Gentle waves ebbed onto the shoreline, the salty smell of the ocean wafting through the air. The people of the city moved about slowly, the warmth of the sun leaving them tired and content. Everything was stacking up to be a smooth, normal day. The flowers were blooming, the birds singing, and the giant monsters were attacking.

Alright, it was a normal day at Steven’s house at the very least.

The monster in question was of a serpentine nature, at least 15 feet in length. It was made of an odd, jelly like substance that was the color of overripe grapes. It was mostly transparent, allowing the glittering gem in its forehead to be clearly seen. The monster had emerged from the ocean just in front of Steven’s house only a few minutes prior to his return from Connie’s house. The gems attacked the monster with full force, but their attacks simply bounced off its gelatinous body. 

“Pearl, Amethyst!” Garnet called, “Flank it!”

Amethyst and Pearl rushed to the monster’s sides, viciously attacking it with their weapons. While the beast was distracted by them, Garnet wound up and fired her gauntlets at it, goth of which exploded immediately upon contact. Pearl and Amethyst leaped from the smoke, keeping their weapons at the ready for when the smoke cleared. The thick, black smoke finally dissipated, leaving behind only the monster’s gem and a puddle of the odd, viscous liquid it was made from. Steven scurried over to the group in stars in his eyes.

“Garnet, that was amazing!” he cheered.

“It was no problem.” Garnet smiled as she reformed her hands.

“Problem or not,” Pearl said, “I’m going to bubble that thing before it can-”

Pearl’s sentence was cut off by a loud crash, the sound of Garnet’s body hitting the floor. She convulsed and squirmed in the sand, her entire body tingling with pain. The other gems watched in horror as her being gave way, splitting apart into Ruby and Sapphire. Ruby immediately sprung up, a look of complete terror decorating her face. Silently, she picked Sapphire up and began to spin her around, her eyes growing darker and darker with fear. Once she dizzied herself and fell over, Sapphire spoke up.

“It’s not going to work Ruby.”

“Don’t say that! I’ll get us fused again, just let me-”

“Ruby. How many times do I have to remind you not to argue with someone who can see the future?” Sapphire said calmly.

“Dang,” Amethyst laughed, “is it break week already?”

“Break week?” Steven echoed, “What’s that?”

“Due to Ruby and I’s prolonged fusion, Garnet can become exceedingly vulnerable to stress. That last attack must’ve finally done it. When this sort of thing happens, Ruby and I must stay apart for a while to allow our next fusion to be more stable.” Sapphire explained.

“It’s horrible!” Ruby gagged.

“It’s not that bad. We’ll be back together in about a week’s time.”

Steven couldn’t help but laugh, “Well, I’m glad you guys are here!”

“Uhh...guys? We got a problem!” Amethyst yelled.

The group’s attention shot back to the monster’s remains. The odd fluid flowed and pooled around the gem, reforming the serpent-like monster. Steven, Pearl, and Amethyst readied their weapons and charged the beast, while Ruby hurriedly scooped up Sapphire and ran in the other direction. Her legs pounded through the sand as fast as she could make them, a hot panic washing over her. Sapphire looked up at her unneeded savior.

“Ruby, you’re going the wrong way.”

“No I’m not! I’m getting you out of danger first!” she insisted.

“You forgot to get the others out of danger.”

“They can handle themselves!”

Sapphire pointed a gloved finger behind her, forcing Ruby to stop in her tracks and whip around. The other gems were floating inside the monster’s gelatinous body, wildly thrashing about. Ruby let Sapphire down and rushed over to them, reading her gauntlet. She smashed her fist into the monster as hard as she could, her fist sticking into the monster’s side whilst doing no visible damage. She yanked her fist out and swung again, merely causing the creature to jiggle uncomfortably. She assaulted the monster with a flurry of useless attacks, burning herself out in a matter of moments. Ruby collapsed into the sand, panting heavily. An intense feeling of dread hooked her. All she could think about was how she’d let everyone down, how they were all in danger because of her. Suddenly, the monster let out a roar of intense pain, shaking Ruby from her thoughts.

The monster’s jelly-like body was quickly being frozen solid. It attempted to flee, but to no avail. The creature was quickly flash-frozen, completely immobile in its wintery prison. Ruby looked around exhaustedly, finding Sapphire with one hand touching the monster-turned-sculpture. She flashed Ruby a bright smile, obviously satisfied with herself. Ruby gave her a smirk back, striking the ice with a powerful fist. The ice shattered instantly, the monster’s gem falling into Sapphire’s hand. She bubbled it and sent it away as Ruby trudged over to her.

“We make a pretty good team.” Ruby giggled.

“Who knew?” Sapphire laughed.

The two sat down in the sand, laughing incessantly. The took one another’s hands, their gems barely touching one another. Sapphire cut her laugher short to steal a kiss from Ruby. She promptly stole one back before devolving into another giggle fit. The other gems dusted themselves off, trying to avert their eyes from the sickeningly sweet display.

“This is gonna be a long week.” Amethyst groaned.


	2. Playing Soldier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna keep the inappropriate jokes about "protection" to myself this time.

Pearl stepped out of the temple, humming a small tune to herself. She jumped slightly when she noticed Sapphire sitting alone on the couch, gazing off into nothingness. She was so eerily silent that it took Pearl a good few minutes to realize that she wasn’t alone. Garnet being silent she could deal with, at least it was obvious when she was in a room.

“Hello Sapphire.” Pearl said slowly, not even sure if she was awake.

“Hello Pearl.”

“Er...where’s Ruby?”

“Guarding the door outside.”

“Guarding the door? From what?” Pearl asked in a confused tone.

“I’m not entirely sure. I told her that I foresaw no danger, but she insisted on taking point outside regardless.”

Pearl made her way to the window. From it she could see Ruby, pacing back and forth in front of the door with clenched fists. Her eyes were narrowed, glaring straight ahead of her with as much focus as she could muster. 

Pearl turned back towards Sapphire, “I can’t help but feel like she’s over reacting.”

“I agree, but this is the simplest solution.”

“What do you mean?”

“My future vision has shown me that I would be unable to change her mind. It’s simply easier to let her burn herself out.” Sapphire explained.

“Your future vision isn’t always as reliable as Garnet’s. Even hers isn’t perfect.”

Sapphire looked up at Pearl. Although her eye wasn’t visible, it was obvious that she was uncomfortable with what she knew was true. She lifted herself from the couch, gently floating over to the window. Ruby immediately noticed her there, giving her a smile and a wave before resuming her march. Sapphire stifled a laugh, the memory of how the two of them first met briefly flashing before her. She found humor in the irony of making small talk with the same Pearl she once believed would be her end.

“Thank you Pearl. I’ll go talk to her.”

Sapphire floated outside, her presence quickly being noticed, “Sapphire, is something wrong?” Ruby croaked.

“Ruby. You don’t need to protect me, especially from danger that isn’t there.”

“You don’t know if it isn’t there!” Ruby protested, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you!”

Sapphire took Ruby’s hand and smiled at her, “Nothing is going to happen. Come on.”

Sapphire floated down towards the beach, dragging Ruby alongside her. Ruby fidgeted around uncomfortably, keeping a vigilant watch. The sun was just beginning to set, painting the many clouds a brilliant pink. Ruby couldn’t help but marvel at it, the colors reflecting in her dark eyes. 

“Wow…” she whispered.

“Earth is beautiful, isn’t it?” Sapphire sang.

Ruby turned to face her, “Yeah..it sure-look out!”

Ruby yanked Sapphire backwards without a second’s hesitation. She summoned a gauntlet, angrily glaring down at the sand in front of her. Sapphire hovered back over and looked where Ruby was. A small blue crab, no bigger than 5 inches long, scuttled slowly in the sand.

“Ruby. It’s a crab.”

“It could be dangerous! It might….pinch you or something!”

“Ruby, I’m floating 3 inches off the ground. It wouldn’t even be able to reach the hem of my dress.”

Sapphire grounded herself, bending over to pick up the small crustacean. She held it out to Ruby, who eyed it distressfully. She slowly lifted a finger to it, gently stroking one of its claws. The crab sat in Sapphire’s hand contently, allowing the two gems to inspect it without a fuss. 

“See?” Sapphire said as she put the crab down, “Danger isn’t constant. The war is over Ruby.”

“I...I know. I’m just worried about you. We aren't as strong as Garnet, if something happened to you I’d…” Ruby’s words were cut short by the sound her her choking back tears.

Sapphire took Ruby’s hands, “Look, I’m scared too. But we can’t let it get to us. We’ve supported each other for this long, a few days unfused shouldn’t be too much. Especially for my favorite soldier.”

“Aw...Sapphy..” Ruby blushed.

“I love you Ruby, and we can make it through this.”

“I love you too. I guess I might’ve overreacted a lit-”

A crack of lightning killed Ruby’s thought, followed by a booming clap of thunder. Rain began to pour, soaking the pair in only a second. Ruby’s eyes were frozen in a state of shock, the sound nearly causing her to jump out of her skin. She took in a deep breath, steadying herself. She held out a hand to Sapphire.

“Come on...we should probably head home.”

“Lead the way.” Sapphire smiled.


	3. Taking On Beach City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beach City is the kind of place where two brightly colored midgets can just sorta walk around without being questioned. Like it should be.

Ruby’s heart pounded like a drum as she waited outside the door. Her legs shook and she was unable to keep her hands still. Her nerves were completely shot, forcing her to twitch around uncontrollably. Ruby had fought in wars, been a part of a major rebellion, and faced corrupted gems hundreds of times her size, but she still felt the heat of unadulterated fear. She jumped when the door opened, Sapphire coming hovering through it.

“Ready for our walk?” she asked.

“Y-yeah sure! Let’s go..!” Ruby stuttered.

Ruby took a hold of Sapphire’s hand, her natural chill bringing Ruby a small bit of comfort. Part of her knew she was overreacting, after all, they were just taking a stroll through Beach City. She couldn’t help herself from being a bit paranoid. If something went wrong, when something went wrong, Garnet wouldn’t be there to help. Ruby had faith in her abilities, no doubt about that. But all she could think about was what could happen to Sapphire, how if she screwed up Garnet could be gone forever.

“Ruby.”

“Y-yeah? What’s up?”

“You’re trembling.”

“No I’m not.” Ruby lied.

“Ruby, my future vision tells me that nothing is going to happen that we can’t handle. Also, watch where you’re walking.”

Ruby stopped dead in her tracks, stopping only an inch away from a human she hadn’t noticed. Ruby recognized him immediately as Jamie the mailman. Add on mixture of irritation and pity settled over her. The mailman stumbled backward, dropping his mailbag to the ground, sending envelops flying everywhere. He scrambled to the sand, tossing the letters back into his bag.

“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t see you guys there.” he panted.

Ruby immediately knelt down and started collecting envelopes, “Don’t worry about-”

Ruby’s eye caught the name written on the letter in her hand. It said “Garnet” in big cursive letters. Ruby felt a flash of anger spark within herself, causing her to lose her temper.

“Are you creeping on Garnet again?!” Ruby snapped, holding up the letter.

“What? No no,” Jamie said scooping the remaining letters back where they belonged, “that’s a thank-you note I wrote her. You two know Garnet?”

“Know her?! Where are her-”

“Close friends,” Sapphire interrupted, “we’re her close friends. We can bring that to her, if you’d like.”

“Oh, that’d be great!” Jamie said happily handing the letter to Sapphire, “Thanks a lot, you’re saving me a ton of time.”

“No problem. Let’s go Ruby.”

Sapphire sauntered away, Ruby following close behind. Sapphire clutched the letter in her hand, not moving to open it. Ruby caught up beside her, a dumbfounded look on her face.

“Why’d you lie to him?”

“The future I saw where you told him the truth lead to extremely long-winded conclusions. I figured this was simpler.”

Ruby reached for the letter, only to have her actions cut off by a blood curtling scream. It sounded far away, making it more concerning than it already was. Sapphire grabbed Ruby’s hand and dashed towards the noise, moving with blinding speed. She deftly stopped in front of the Big Donut, where another horrified scream could be heard. Ruby immediately shoved her way through the double doors, readying her weapon. Sadie was huddled up on the counter, screaming in a blind panic. On the floor stood a gem monster, a black crab-like creature the size of a small dog, a cyan gem adorning its back. The monster immediately turned its attention to Ruby, lobbing small, blue fireballs from its claws. Ruby leaped away from them, swinging at the monster as hard as she could. Her attack was caught by the monster’s claw, its iron grip refusing to release Ruby’s hand. Suddenly a blue blur rushed past Ruby, striking the monster with deadly precision. The monster tumbled backwards, a thin layer of frost covering it. It opened its claws again, readying itself for another attack, only to have its claws frozen shut. Ruby delivered the final punch with a smug grin, bubbling the gem that fell from the creature’s physical form.

“Oh thank goodness,” Sadie sighed, “I thought I was a goner.”

“Are there any more of these things?” Ruby asked.

“That’s the only one I saw. It was crawling around in the dumpster outside and chased me in here. Lars ran crying back to his house.” Sadie explained.

“Well, if that’s the case, our work here is done. Right Sapphire?”

“Hey wait,” Sadie said quickly, “I need to thank you both for saving me. Wait here.”

Sadie ran into the back of the store, quickly returning with two boxes, each one jam-packed with donuts.

“Here, take these. It’s the least I could do. And say hi to Steven for me.”

“How’d you know we knew Steven?” Ruby asked as she took the reward.

“Whenever freaky stuff like this happens, him or his friends usually show up.” Sadie laughed, “I haven't seen you two around before though.”

“You have but...it’s kinda complicated.” Ruby said as the pair left the building. The two walked for a few more minutes, settling down on a bench by the docks. Ruby stuffed a donut into her mouth, while Sapphire simply stared at the pastries with mild disinterest.

“I thought you said nothing was going to happen?” Ruby growled.

“I said, nothing we couldn’t handle.” Sapphire corrected him.

“Yeah well, a little more of a heads up would be helpful next time. You still got that letter?”

Sapphire handed him the envelope, which Ruby promptly tore open. She skimmed the note, reading it aloud.

“Dear Garnet, thank you for helping me realize my dreams. I’m sorry I couldn’t write you earlier, but I was honestly afraid you wouldn’t want to hear from me. Either way, it would be wrong of me not to thank you for all you did for me, even if to you it was just a simple conversation. From Jamie.”

Ruby’s stomach twisted into an uncomfortable knot. Garnet was always the useful one. The helpful one. The strong one. She was happy to be a part of that, honestly and truly, but all the letter did was remind her that Garnet was gone. Despite offering assistance to both of the people she’d met today, Ruby couldn’t shake a feeling of uselessness. Sapphire placed a cool hand on Ruby’s shoulder.

“Sounds like Garnet really helped him.”

“Yeah, I guess we did.” Ruby laughed.

“Looks like there’s one more human who could use some help today.”

Ruby looked down and saw Onion staring up at them, his eyes darting to the donuts. Ruby took a few and handed them to the child without a word. Onion gave her a thumbs up, before immediately smashing a donut onto his face and running off.

“Weird kid.” Ruby giggled.

“Indeed.” 


	4. Story Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time, in a fanfic far far away....

When they were first getting accustomed to Earth culture, several things stood out as odd or unnecessary to Ruby and Sapphire. The way humans interacted with one another, the way they communicated their feelings, it was all so strange. It took some getting used to...at least, most of it did. One part of human culture they immediately found pleasent was being curled up together in front of the tv, enjoying each other’s presence. The feeling of being in each other’s arms, their minds zoned out to the television sitting in front of them, it almost felt like being fused again. The only thing keeping them from achieving a state of spaced-out perfection was the show Steven and Amethyst were watching next to them. It was some sort of odd, hospital themed soap opera that Steven enjoyed. Amethyst...voiced her complaints, to say the least.

“Steven, why do you only watch garbage shows?” Amethyst groaned.

“This show isn’t garbage, it’s sweet! The doctor and the nurse fall in love through all the stress of working in a-”

“Oh blah blah blah,” Amethyst cut in, “this show is crap. All this lovey-dovey mush doesn’t even make sense. If they’re so stressed, how would they even fall in love?”

Ruby made an exaggerated noise with her throat, “Look, I can agree this show isn’t very good, but stress can definitely bring people together.”

“Undoubtedly,” Sapphire added, “the key is to find a way to work through that stress.”

“Stress is the entire reason you two can’t fuse right now.” Amethyst pointed out.

“Yes, but it was also a great contributor in how Garnet became stable in the first place.” Sapphire said matter-of-factly.

Steven’s eyes suddenly lit up, “Story time?”

Ruby and Sapphire exchanged a quick glance, giggling in unison, “Sure kid, listen up.” Ruby began, “It was a long, long time ago, at the tail end of the rebellion. Garnet was in the middle of a training session with a certain renegade that day…”

✮

Garnet’s body flew through the air, landing hard on her back onto the wet ground. Rain poured down, the distant roar of thunder painting a picture of pure horror. The trees of the Earth jungle were tall and thick, leaving the sky nearly invisible. Garnet’s three eyes went wide as the shorter gem stood over her, rapier at the ready. A crack of lightning tore the sky apart as the rapier was raised, shocking Garnet out of her fused form. Ruby and Sapphire tumbled into the mud, their bodies trembling.

“Pull yourselves together!” Pearl commanded, “You two are supposed to be our secret weapon!”

“We’re trying Pearl,” Ruby growled, “it isn’t that easy!”

“Well we aren’t stopping until you two can stabilize your fusion! If we’re going to stop Homeword, we’re going to need an ace up our sleeve.”

Ruby took a hold of Sapphire’s hand, pulling her close. With a simple twirl, the two melded together, forming Garnet once more. The colorful gem took a few quick glances around herself before charging at Pearl again, fists swinging with tremendous power. Pearl deftly dodged each strike, leaving Garnet crashing into thin air. Pearl grasped one of Garnet’s arms, pulling her forward and striking her with the handle of her sword. The fusion once again fell apart, Ruby and Sapphire falling the ground.

“Pearl!” Ruby shouted, “I swear, I’m going to-”

Ruby’s thought was immediately shattered by the sound of crying. Her heart nearly broke as she turned as saw Sapphire, face down in the mud and sobbing heavily. Ruby ran over to her, picking her up and cradling her in her arms.

“Sapphire, what’s wrong?”

“Ruby...I-I’m sorry. I’m the reason we’re so weak.” Sapphire heaved.

“W-what?! No you’re not! Look, we can-”

“No Ruby! I’m not made for fighting, can’t you tell?! You’re a soldier, a warrior, this is what you were created for! I can’t keep up with you, that’s the truth of it.” Sapphire cried.

Ruby could feel her eyes beginning to sting, “Sapphire…”

“Oh will you two knock it off?” Pearl huffed, “You need to take this seriously! If you don’t we-”

“That’s enough, Pearl. Let me handle this.” a serene voice called.

“R-Rose!” Pearl blushed, “Y-yes, of course.”

Rose made her way over to the small gems, kneeling down to meet their gaze. At first, she was silent, studying her newest allies. She held out both of her hands, silently prompting the two of them to take them. Once they did, she began to speak.

“You two are putting too much pressure on yourselves. With time, you’ll master your fusion.” she said calmly.

“But we’ve at this for days!” Ruby protested, “Besides, I don’t want to keep doing this if Sapphire is going to be so upset.”

“Ruby…” Sapphire hiccuped.

“Ruby,” Rose laughed, “I think you’re making her nervous.”

“I...wait,” Ruby turned, “am I?”

“Ruby,” Sapphire said quietly, “I don’t want you to think you have to protect me.”

“But I do have to protect you Sapphire! I’m the reason you can’t go back to Homeworld in the first place!”

“I don’t want to go back!” Sapphire snapped, “I want to stay, with you, and the others. Homeworld would never let us be together and that...that’s all that I want.”

Rose gave Ruby and Sapphire’s hands a light squeeze to regain their attention, “You see? The key to fusion is communication. You two can fuse so easily, but to stay focused, you have to coordinate yourselves. I want you two to talk this out before you fuse again, get everything off your chests.”

Rose released them and took a few steps back, ducking under a tree to avoid the rain. Ruby and Sapphire looked up at one another, their gaze silent and unbreaking. Neither wanted to speak first. The humid air and pounding rain didn’t help their already shot nerves, leaving both without a voice for a few long, painful moments. Finally, Sapphire spoke up.

“Did you really think...that I would go back?”

“No! But...I thought you wanted to.” Ruby admitted.

“Why would you think that?”

“Because you were important on Homeworld! You were a member of Blue Diamond’s court! If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be in the middle of all this danger!” Ruby choked.

“You’re in danger too! You can’t keep trying to hide me away from all of this Ruby, you’re going to get yourself shattered!”

“Who cares if they shatter me?! I won’t let them-”

Ruby’s voice was cut off by the sound of a loud slap that echoed through the jungle. Ruby stumbled back, wided-eyed. Sapphire looked down upon her hand, trembling at what she had just done. Sapphire fell into Ruby’s arms, tears beginning to flow from her eye once again.

“Don’t ever say that again. We need you. I need you. I love you Ruby.”

“Aw..Sapphire…,” Ruby said, the handprint on her face beginning to sting, “I love you too.”

The two gems leaned into a kiss, their bodies merging instantaneously. The fusion looked down at her hands, immediately noticing something amiss. When she saw her reflection in a nearby puddle, her jaw nearly dropped. Smooth lines, solid colors, and a stylish cubi afro. She was finally herself. She was finally Garnet.

“I...I look...amazing.” ✮

“Oh my goodness!” Steven beamed, “That’s amazing you guys! What happened next?”

“Well, after that we found a Homeworld base and kicked all their butts,” Ruby bragged, snuggling against Sapphire, “then...what happened after that?”

“That was when we made our way to the Kindergarten, where we found Amethyst.” Sapphire chimed in.

“Alright alright, we can tell that story later.” Amethyst said.

“But anyway, ever since then we’ve been fused all the time. Aside from the occasional break, of course.” Ruby said.

“That’s a really nice story. I’m sorry you guys can’t actually be Garnet all the time, but it is nice to be able to hang out with you,” Steven smiled, “you guys got any more stories?”

Ruby looked up at Sapphire. The two held a silent gaze for a short moment, before cracking a pair of smiles. Ruby turned her attention back to Steven.

“Sure, we got a few more. Let’s see, this one time…”


	5. Little Green Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if Peridot/Sapphire is a thing but for the love of god please let it not be a thing.

Ruby rubbed her eyes as she slowly began to wake up. Light filtered in through the windows, illuminating the living room. Ruby stretched her limbs, a small yawn escaping her lips.

“Good morning Sapphire.”she said.

There was no response. Ruby jumped down from the couch and cupped hands around her mouth, “Sapphire? Sapphy?”

It all suddenly hit her at once. Sapphire was gone, and Ruby had no idea where she went. Ruby paced throughout the house, a hot feeling of panic choking the life out of her. Her eyes darted around, Sapphire nowhere to be seen. Ruby’s hands trembled, unable to steady themselves. Her legs felt as if they were about to fall out from under her, her adrenaline-fueled fright the only thing keeping her from collapsing.

“Sapphire! Sapphire, where are you?!” she shouted.

There was no answer, the silent air hanging heavily all around her. Ruby’s heart pounded ever harder, her entire body shaking like some sort of malfunctioning machine. Ruby kicked the door open, shouting into the open sky.

“Sapphire! Sapphire!”

“Ruby, why are you shouting?”

Ruby whipped around, a bit disappointed to find the source of the voice behind her to be Pearl rather than Sapphire, “Pearl! I-I I don’t know what happened! I woke up from a nap and Sapphire was gone!”

“Ruby, calm down. I know where she is.” Pearl said confidently.

“Where is she?!” Ruby demanded.

“I simply asked her to pick up something from the barn for me while you were asleep. Of course, that was quite some time ago…”

“She’s in trouble!” Ruby yelped, “I need to go save her!”

Before Pearl could stop her, Ruby sprinted towards the barn as fast as her legs could go. Having an idea where Sapphire was gave her mind a very brief moment of ease, only to begin racing again. Why didn’t Sapphire wake her up? What did Pearl even need at the barn? How long was she gone? Ruby’s legs pounded the ground, tearing chunks of dirt away as she desperately closed the distance between her and the barn. In her blind frenzy of a run, Ruby almost missed that she had made it to the barn, nearly smacking into the slightly open door. Ruby peered inside, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw Sapphire inside. Peridot was sitting next to her, the pair staring at a portable tv that sat on the floor.

“This show...is ridiculous!” Sapphire said, stifling a laugh, “How can you watch this?”

“C-come on now!” Peridot replied in the midst of her own giggle fit, “Camp Pining Hearts is the best that human television has to offer! Although...watching you react to it is almost as entertaining.”

The two gems laughed more at the television, as Ruby watched on. She gritted her teeth, balling one of her hands into a tight fist. She almost never heard Sapphire laugh, it was a rare sound, one that normally filled Ruby with a giddy sort of joy. But hearing it now, she felt different. It made her feel small, weak, almost betrayed.

“Sapphire!” Ruby accidentally shouted, “There you are!”

“Oh, Ruby!” Sapphire said, trying to regain her composure, “What are you doing here?”

“Pearl sent me, she said you’ve been gone awhile.”

“My apologies. I meant to pick up the schematics Pearl requested, but I got a bit distracted.”

“You got distracted? You never get distracted!” Ruby growled.

“Calm down ‘commando’,” Peridot chimed in, “It’s not like she’s in any danger.”

Ruby held back the urge to smack Peridot across the face, “Just...can we please have whatever Pearl needs so we can go? Please?”

“Wait right here.” Peridot instructed.

Peridot walked off to the far end of the barn, digging through a pile of assorted junk. Ruby gave Sapphire and unnoticed, sideways glance. Her stomach felt like a smoldering pit, and she wasn’t sure why. Ruby inhaled a sharp breath, blaming her odd behavior on her nerves.

“So uh...what exactly were you guys doing?” Ruby asked.

“After I told her about our current situation, she offered to show me the television programs Steven introduced her to.”

“You told her?!” Ruby squeaked.

“Ruby. She asked why we were unfused. It’s hard not to notice.”

“Yeah well...it’s none of her business!” Ruby said, her voice deflating.

“Ruby, you’re acting ridiculous.”

“Why did you come here by yourself? Why didn’t you wake me up?” Ruby demanded.

“I didn’t foresee any danger.” Sapphire said simply.

“That doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be any!”

Ruby was going to speak again, but got caught by the sound of bemused laughter coming from the other side of the barn, “Yell at her some more you clod, I’m sure that’ll get her to fuse with you again.”

“Will you just find your stupid thing?!” Ruby snapped.

Peridot strode over, clutching a roll of paper, “There’s no reason to be upset. Sapphire is in perfect health.” Peridot said.

“Whatever,” Ruby said as she snatched the paper from Peridot’s hand, “come on Sapphire.”

The two gems turned to leave, but not before Peridot called behind them, “Sapphire! Are you still coming over to watch the rest of season two later?”

“Of course,” Sapphire replied, “I’ll return in a few hours.”

“Wait, what?” Ruby sputtered.

“We’d just started the second season before you arrived,” Peridot explained, “once you two are done with your business, you can always-”

“N-No!” Ruby shouted, “We uh...we gotta go! Now!”

Ruby spun towards the door, making a few steps towards it before she noticed the Sapphire wasn’t following her. Ruby turned back around, Sapphire hadn’t moved an inch. Ruby couldn’t explain how she felt, even to herself. She felt, panicky, confused, angry, and sad. She wasn’t even sure why, all she wanted was to take Sapphire away from the barn and away from Peridot. Ruby looked back up at Sapphire, and although her eyes wasn’t visible, she could feel the indignant look Sapphire was giving her.

“Ruby,” she said coldly, “is there something you’d like to say to me?”

“Well...I uh…” Ruby stuttered, “I thought maybe...you and I could just spend time together. You know, like we always do.”

“Don’t lie to me Ruby. There’s more to this.”

Ruby simply stood in silence, unable to bring herself to speak. Peridot's eyes flicked back and forth between the arguing couple, her mind slowly piecing together what was going on. Once she had, Peridot quickly leaned in and whispered something to Sapphire.

“Don’t be ridiculous Peridot, Ruby trusts me more than that.” Sapphire said.

“Is it really that far-fetched? You and I are both intellectual types, we naturally get along. It would be normal for her to be a bit jealous.” Peridot replied.

“I-I’m not jealous!” Ruby said unconvincingly, “Who cares if you two watch some stupid show together?!”

“Yep. She’s jealous.” Peridot laughed.

“I am not you...you...ugh!” Ruby turned and stopped out the door, choking back angry tears.

“Sheesh. No wonder you needed a break from her.” Peridot sighed.

Sapphire said nothing, floating her way towards the door in silence. She found Ruby right outside the door, tears falling from her face. Sapphire wasn’t sure what to say, her future vision proving once again less-than-helpful. Sapphire did the first thing she thought of, she pulled her hair back to reveal her eye, and tapped Ruby on the shoulder.

“Ruby,” she breathed, “do you...not trust me?”

“Of course I trust you Sapphire!” Ruby pleaded, “I don’t want to feel like this I just…,” her voice trailed off into a heavy sigh.

“You just what?”

“I just….seeing you guys getting along, it reminded me of when we first met. You used to be surrounded by gems just like you. Smart gems, gems you could actually relate to. And I messed it all up for you.”

“Ruby, you know I’m much happier here then I ever could have been on Homeworld.” Sapphire pointed out.

“I know but...I can’t help but feel like...like I’m keeping you from being yourself, you know?”

Sapphire placed a hand on Ruby’s cheek, causing the red gem to blush, “Ruby. The only reason I can be myself is because of you. I love you Ruby.”

“I love you too Sapphire.” Ruby sniffled.

Ruby couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt away. She loved Sapphire, honestly and truly, and hated herself for ever doubting her. She glared down at the roll of paper in her hand, and took a deep breath.

“Hey...I’ll go bring this back to Pearl. You go and have fun.” Ruby finally said.

“I don’t want you to leave until you feel better.” Sapphire said firmly.

“I feel fine.” Ruby lied.

Sapphire grabbed Ruby and pulled her into a long, slow kiss. She pulled away only momentarily, her large eye staring intently into Ruby’s soul. They hugged one another as hard as they could, nearly poofing each other in the process.

“I know it’s hard, being apart,” Sapphire whispered, “but we can make it through this. Together.”

“I know,” Ruby whispered back, “I just...I just don’t want anyone taking you away.”

Sapphire pulled back to look Ruby in the face, “No one’s taking me anywhere,” she said before cracking a smile, “and besides….me and Peridot? Really?”

“Yeah...heh,” Ruby chuckled, “I guess it is kinda ridiculous. I don’t think she can emotionally handle a relationship anyway.”

“I heard that!” Peridot’s voice shouted from the barn.

The two gems fell into a small laughing fit, their negative feels nearly washing away. Ruby spoke up again, “After I come back...could I...join you guys?”

“No!” Peridot shouted from the barn.

“Of course you can,” Sapphire said with a peck on Ruby’s cheek, “I think you’ll like it.”

“Hey! I said no!” 


	6. Memories (Or Lack therof)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say an elephant never forgets, but I forgot what the elephant remembered.

“Are you sure you don’t need our help?” Ruby asked.

Amethyst and Steven were already halfway onto the warp pad, awkwardly glancing over to the distraught Ruby. Pearl was still gathering supplies when Ruby caught up to her, prompting her to stop dead in her tracks. Pearl looked down at Ruby with a nervous expression, “It’s nothing personal, but this mission needs to be done in a covert manner. In your unfused state, you and Sapphire make the group too large to do so.”

Ruby scowled at the floor, “Pearl...I-”

“I’m sorry Ruby but I can’t talk, this is urgent!” Pearl squawked before sprinting off to the warp pad, Amethyst and Steven in tow.

Ruby trudged over to the couch where Sapphire had sat unspeaking through the whole conversation. She flopped down next Sapphire with a heavy sigh. She rested her head on her lap, her eyes flickering up to the painting of Rose above the door. A tight knot formed in her stomach, making it painful to try and shift from her current position. Sapphire traced a hand up and down Ruby’s arm, still silent. Ruby tried to speak, but the best she could muster was a frustrated whine.

“It’s alright Ruby,” Sapphire said, “they’re going to be fine.”

“B-but what if it isn’t alright?! They might need us Sapphire!”

“You heard Pearl, it’s a stealth mission. You aren’t exactly known for your subtlety.”

“I..I can still try!” Ruby protested, “Just because we can’t be Garnet doesn't mean we’re weak!”

“In comparison to Garnet, we are weak.” Sapphie said much colder than intended.

Ruby’s eyes wandered back up to Rose’s portrait, a hot feeling of anger and irritation washing over her. She felt trapped, the entire house seeming miniscule around her. Brief memories flashed in her mind, memories of Rose and the rebellion. Memories of adjusting to life on Earth. Memories of stabilizing with Sapphire, both literally and figuratively. It wasn’t much of a secret that Ruby had fallen for Sapphire hard, but Sapphire’s reclusive personality made it hard to tell how she felt, at first anyway. Nowadays Ruby could read her like a book, even if she wasn’t giving off any obvious tells.

“Sapphy, when did you know you loved me?” Ruby asked quietly.

A noticeable blush made its way onto Sapphire’s face, “Oh Ruby...I’ve always loved you, you know that.”

Ruby picked herself up, “I know but, when did you fall in love with me?”

“Well, that’s a good question. It’s hard to say really. You and I spent so much time together that I just...knew.”

Ruby wanted to get a straight answer out of her, but had a feeling that would be a fruitless task. The more she thought about it, the more Ruby realized that she was in a similar boat. She had always had feelings for Sapphire, ever since she first laid eyes on her. They had spent so many years together that it had eventually turned into something more, and it was very difficult to place when. Ruby felt a twinge of guilt that nearly made her nauseous. It was hard to differentiate her own memories from Garnet’s, an admitable downside to being one with your soulmate for long periods of time. Ruby strained herself, trying to force her brain to reach back farther and farther. No matter how far she went however, she always felt a familiar love for Sapphire. In a way, it was nice. Their love was strong and long lived, but in a way, it made Ruby feel blameworthy. A quick look at Sapphire made it obvious that she didn’t mean to be hurtful in any way, but Ruby couldn’t shake the feeling.

“Was it before or after we agreed to be Garnet permanently?” Ruby asked.

“Before, definitely before,” Sapphire quickly said, struggling with the same problem Ruby had, “you and I spent a lot of time together before we made that decision.”

“Heh, yeah.” Ruby chuckled.

The two gems took a long look at one another, a warm glow enveloping them both. The time didn’t matter, not to them. They both knew how the other felt. Without speaking, Ruby took Sapphire’s hand and led her outside. The sun was just beginning to set, painting the sky with a brilliant display of orange and pink. Sapphire pulled her hair back, revealing her large, singular eye. It was almost surreal, a few thousand years ago the planet seemed hostile and dangerous. But now, it was an epitome of beauty and peace. It was a safe haven that she and the other had fought for so long for.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Sapphire breathed.

“It sure is.” Ruby replied without taking her eyes off Sapphire.

“Ruby, you’re not even looking.” Sapphire giggled.

“I know what I’m looking at,” Ruby said with a kiss, “I have an idea.”

“I’m listening.”

“Well, we’re gonna go back to being Garnet soon...really soon. So I was thinking, how about we do something to gether tomorrow night, just us. Like a...date?” Ruby blushed profusely.

“Ruby,” Sapphire laughed, “we’ve been together for almost six thousand years and you still blush when you ask me out?”

“L-look, if you don’t want to I-”

Sapphire took a gentle hold of Ruby’s face, silencing her with a kiss, “Of course I want to. What did you have in mind?”

“Well,” Ruby grinned, “I’ve got a few ideas.”


	7. Paranoia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not all plans go according to...well..plan.

Sapphire hovered an inch or so above the sand, lazily drifting back and forth. Her silent gaze was locked onto the expansive ocean, a slight pout upon her face. The sun was beginning to dip beyond the horizon, causing long shadows to stretch onto the beach around her. Her mind was focused solely on one important question. Where in god’s name was Ruby? She had been going on and on about her big ‘plan’ for their date, but Sapphire, nor anyone else for that matter, had seen a trace of her all day. Sapphire turned slightly as she heard the door creak behind her. Amethyst trudged out, stopping to stretch her limbs and let out a loud yawn.

“Hey Sapphire,” Amethyst said, “what are you still doing here? I thought you and Ruby were going out or some junk.”

“I don’t know where she is.” Sapphie said, quietly returning her view to the ocean.

“Oh man, she still isn’t done?” Amethyst muttered to herself.

“Do you know where she is?” Sapphire asked without moving.

“Er...well...kinda. She asked me to help her get some stuff together for some big surprise she was making for you, but she probably should’ve finished by now.”

Sapphire stood as still as a statue, drawing a quiet, shallow breath as her future vision began to paint a picture before her. The visions flowed like a steam, flowing and rushing down many different routes and directions. Sapphire could see hundreds, if not thousands of possible futures unfolding before her. While this ability was powerful, its practicality was questionable. Even Garnet couldn’t see which future was destined to happen, a fact that disheartened Sapphire as more and more images made their way past her mind’s eye. Ruby had proven to her time and time again that the future could be changed, that nothing was set in stone. For once she wished Ruby had been wrong, or at least wrong enough that Sapphire would have any sort of clue about where she should be looking. All at once, the images blinked out of existence, shattering like a piece of glass on pavement. Sapphire floated over towards Amethyst, pulling her hair back to reveal her eye. Sapphire met Amethyst’s gaze with a determined, fearful glare.

“I don’t care about spoiling the surprise. Tell me where she is. Now.”

“Alright alright, keep your dress on.” Amethyst complied “She said she was going to...some field or a forest or something. I don’t remember the details. She said you guys spent a lot of time there together when you first met.”

The vision hit Sapphire like a freight train. The landscape was ungodly familiar, she’d have a harder time recognizing her own face. Dark green grass dotted with colorful flowers that stretched for miles. She could hear something in the distance, something that made her skin crawl when she realized what it was. It was Ruby, screaming in pain. Sapphire couldn’t see her, but she could hear her voice loud and clear. Ruby’s wails drowned out the sounds of nature, leaving Sapphire alone with the soul crushing racket.

“Sapphire! I...I’m sorry Sapphire! I just...I just wanted...aghhh!”

Sapphire flew through the door, landing on the warp pad with blinding speed. The warp pad brought her to where Ruby was, or at least, where she probably was. Burning tears fell from Sapphire’s face as she rushed through the landscape. Grass and dirt tore from the ground below her as she charged forward. Her visions showed the very forest she was currently flying in, albeit at least a moment or two into the future. Her visions her constantly being interrupted, her mind bombarded by images or possible futures. She saw Ruby’s gem shattering against a rock, Ruby being torn apart by corrupted gems, Homeworld touching down next to her and dragging her into their ship, among other horrid forecasts. Sapphire continued to soar through the air, begging and pleading with herself that what she was seeing wasn’t real. The trees blazed past her line of sight, finally ending at a clearing. Sapphire stopped, simply allowing herself to stay suspended in mid air for a moment. The forest was silent. The trees were motionless, no wind to disturb their leaves. Sapphire slowed her flight, moving at a moderate pace through the clearing. She didn’t need her future vision to navigate, any moment now she’d find a cave, the same one her and Ruby took shelter in over five thousand years ago. Finally, a sound caught her attention, the sound of talking.

“Oh...come on!” it was Ruby’s voice, “Just...ugh!”

Sapphire zipped towards the sound, not slowing down until she had Ruby in her sight...or at least, a few seconds after she caught Ruby in her sight and then promptly crashed into her. Sapphire clung to Ruby’s body as they both tumbled onto the ground.

“What the...Sapphire?! W-w-what are you doing here?!”

Sapphire looked up at Ruby with her tear-filled eye, causing Ruby to flinch, “You were taking so long, and my visions...I thought something bad happened to you.” Sapphire said as calmly as she could.

Ruby sat herself up, pulling Sapphire up with her. She wiped the dirt of Sapphire’s dress as she continued to speak, “I’m fine Sapphy, mostly. I was just...trying to get everything set up.”

Sapphire wiped the tears from her eye, calming herself enough to finally take a look around her. The clearing they sat in appeared to be decorated with more than just flowers and trees. Streamers and confetti of all different colors hung from the many bushes and trees just outside the clearing. A small fire pit sat just outside the mouth of the cave, a few logs and a cooler sitting beside it. On the cave itself, a bright pink sign half hung just above the entrance. The sign read; “I love you” in slightly crooked black lettering. 

“...This?” Sapphire breathed, “This is what took you so long? This is what you were sobbing and screaming about?!” Sapphire’s voice raised in a way Ruby was not used to, prompting her to jump.

Ruby rubbed the back of her neck and glanced away awkwardly, “Y-yeah. I..I know it’s not great but..I just thought it would be kinda nice..I don’t know.. I’m sor-”

Sapphire shovedd Ruby to ground again. Wrapping her arms around her and nuzzling into the crook of her neck, “I love it.”

“Y-you do?” Ruby blinked, “Then...why’d you yell at me?”

Sapphire pecked Ruby’s cheek with a smile, “Just nerves sweetheart, nothing to worry about.” she said in her usual demeanor.

The two looked up at the night sky, dozens of stars already glimmering against the dark backdrop. Sapphire’s muscles finally loosened, an indescribable weight being lifted from her shoulders. She squeezed Ruby’s body with a satisfied hum, the latter tracing a hand up and down Sapphire’s back. Sapphire brought a hand to Ruby’s face, turning it away from the night sky and planting a kiss on her lips.

“I love you Ruby.”

“I love you too Sapphire,” Ruby blushed, “o-oh! I almost forgot!”

Ruby scrambled to the cooler that sat a few feet from them, digging around in it furiously. Sapphire could hear the sound of something metallic in the cooler, followed by a light “plop” sound. Ruby returned in short order, handing Sapphire a small paper bowl. Inside the bowl sat a plastic spoon and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

“Ice cream?” Sapphire questioned aloud.

“Y-yeah,” the blush on Ruby’s face began to darken even further, “I thought...you know it’s...cold and sweet. Like you.”

Sapphire stared at Ruby in silence for a solid minute before bursting into a fit of laughter. She fell backwards into the grass, unable to keep her howling to herself. Ruby playfully loomed over her with a wide grin, “Hey, don’t laugh at me! I’m trying to be cute!”

“You are cute!” Sapphire laughed, struggling to sit up, “Almost six thousand years together and you still say the corniest things!”

Ruby found Sapphire’s laughter contagious, and before she knew it, she was lying in the grass next to her, laughing like mad. Ruby rolled over, throwing an arm over Sapphire as the laughter continued. Their gems began to glow, a warm light bathing the both of them. Their bodies melted away, melding together with a burst of white hot energy. Garnet bellowed heartily, clutching at her stomach. Once she regained her composure, she leaned back against the side of the cave, taking a triumphant spoonful of ice cream into her mouth as she looked up to the heavens.

“It’s good to be back.” 


End file.
